1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to oil compounds for use on bowling lanes and the like.
2. Description of Prior Art
Bowling is a popular game in which the participants roll a ball down a lane or alley with the object of knocking down as many as possible of the ten pins which are arranged at the far end. Oil compositions of various types are applied to the bowling lane in order to provide lubrication to the ball during its travel over the first portion of the lane. These oils are typically applied over the entire width of the lane from the beginning of the lane to about 40 feet toward the pins according to individual customs and preferences. Professional bowling associations usually require that the oil be present across the entire width of any portion of the lane to which it is applied. Bowlers purposely apply certain spins to the ball so that it will curve as it travels toward the pins. The oil which is applied to the first portion of the lane allows the ball to spin relatively unimpeded until it reaches the unoiled portion of the lane at which time friction between the ball and the lane increases. In order to provide predictable and reproducible conditions on a bowling lane, it is essential that the oil be uniformly applied and that it not be carried or smeared down the lane as balls are repeatedly rolled over it. Downlane migration of oil is a significant problem in that lane conditions will change rapidly as balls are repeatedly rolled and ball performance for a given delivery will change accordingly.
One solution to downlane migration is frequent cleaning and reoiling of the bowling lanes. This is only a partial solution however since the downlane migration during a single game can cause undesirable changes in the lane conditions. It is difficult to clean and re-oil the lanes as often as would be necessary to provide reasonably uniform and stable oil distribution patterns during tournament play. Another solution involves the use of a high viscosity heavy oil which is diluted with a solvent such as kerosene so that it can be applied easily to the lane surface. After application, the solvent evaporates leaving a heavy oil which, theoretically, will be less likely to track or smear onto the unoiled portion of the lane. In practice, this type of oil has proved less than ideal and is not a practical solution to the oil migration problem.